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The best team won the Euro's
Thought Southgate got most thinks wrong in the final so negative in his opening selection. Then bringing Grealish on after 90 mins and letting two players who never hardly had a touch take a penalty
but the main fact is Italy deserved to win . I think we only had one shot that I recall
Just hate watching negative mangers who over think an easy game
Hmmmm, A sweeping attack, started 20 yards from our goal line by Shaw on the left, a couple of passes later Trippier gets the bll wide right, a very good cross sees Shaw finish it off with a half volley giving their keeper no chance. The following 20 odd minutes we ran the show. The rest of the 1st half was 50/50.
Negative in his opening selection? Absolutely not.
2nd half Italy showed why they deserved to win the competition in regular time. A mixture of some poor shooting, good blocks and good saves saw us given a chance to do it in extra time. We didn't.
The one thing I didnt like was Chiellini's cynical pull back on Saka. According to the current rules and regs, a free kick and a yellow was the right decision. That brought an old idea of mine back into my mind. A 3rd colour card, maybe orange? For actions worthy of more than a yellow but not a red. They would result in an immediate 10 minute sin bin..... unless you already had a yellow or an orange in which case it's red.
The better side on the day won. We can't complain and the rest of Europe are pleased we lost.
Afraid I agree with eddy.
Southgate and England have done really well and the future may be bright but there were some strange decisions last night.
I’ll never understand bringing two players on so that virtually their first touch was to take a crucial penalty resulting in so much eventual pressure on an eigh**** year old.
Really, really hard on those players and a poor decision imo.
Quite why Mount stayed on and Grealish wasn’t used until extra time is also a mystery to me. We were second best throughout the second half and things needed to change...at that point we were out managed rather than out played.
Still well done to all...much better than we probably expected. Got a bit lucky against Denmark and it ran out last night but no shame in coming second.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ramAnag
Its not often that agree 100% with you rA (dont hold your breath for next one :-)) but Southgate's use - or lack of use - of substitutes was baffling and makes me wonder why we even had a squad. 2 players coming on whose almost first touch was to miss a penalty was bizzarre.
Rashford tried to be too clever - just hit it, dont tit around, just hit it. You dont get two goals for a pretty penalty. After that the other two were on hidings to nothing and I feel most sorry for Saka whose emotions must have been on a real rollercoaster after Sancho missed and Pickford saved. He was a nailed on miss.
Somewhat counter intuitively I think England's cause was not helped by the early goal. if it had come after maybe 30 minutes it would have been much better, but we seemed to try to sit back and play out the last 88 minutes after scoring.
Have to agree, I did think at half time there would be a change and attempt to use our more attacking players to force Italy back, but no and why Sancho and Grealish weren't used is a mystery. But thats been the pattern all tournament and it got England to the final but its very boring to watch and frustrating given the attacking talent we ahve available.Quote:
Originally Posted by eddy779h34
The subs for the penalties were farcical and potentially we could have lost the match there. But Southgate is a negative (pragmatic?) manager and was never going to change in the final.
Yes Italy were the better team and were managed by a much better manager who used his subs well and had his tactics spot on.
I'm puzzled rA. You appear to gagree with Eddy but don't mention my questioning of Eddy's point on a "negative opening selection" considering we opened brightly, had that great move leading to the 2nd minute goal and we were the better side for the opening 25 to 30 minutes.
I'm OK with people disagreeing with me but prefer to understand why they disagree. So far nobody has explained why they think we were defensive for the opening half hour and that includes eddy.
That we should have changed tack 2nd half, as several have opined, is a no brainer. What about the opening half hour though? Defensive to a fault as eddy suggested is not what I saw.
Sorry...to be clear...I don’t actually agree with eddy about the ‘negative opening selection’...I think Southgate is a good ‘horses for courses’ manager and picks accordingly. It worked for thirty minutes or so but after that he seemed to be out thought and out managed.Quote:
Originally Posted by MadAmster
That’s where I agree with eddy. Southgate made some bad errors on Sunday night imo...but he’s relatively inexperienced and has done far more good than harm since he took over England. He also took full responsibility which I admire greatly.
Your right MA, England kept the Italians at bay and largely at the half way line for 30 mins after the goal, but were dropping deeper and deeper before half time. One wonders what Southgate's instructions were at the break, get back to pushing them or trying to hold on for the 1-0?Quote:
Originally Posted by MadAmster
Overall your right he has certainly fared better than managers with bigger reputations with England, but his overall strategy is very negative and not good to watch.